Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni confirmed that superstar point guard Russell Westbrook is getting close to playing again.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Westbrook won't make his grand return in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.
The Rockets have listed Russell Westbrook (quad strain) as OUT for Wednesday's Game 5 against Oklahoma City
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 25, 2020
If the Rockets lose Game 5, they will be down 3-2 in the series. Would Russell Westbrook play in an elimination game after only practicing maybe once? The competitor in Westbrook would say yes, but his body and basketball game would certainly not be up to par since he has been out for a while.
The Thunder have all the momentum in the series right now after winning Games 3 and 4. Following the first two games of the series, it appeared the Rockets were well on their way to defeating OKC without Westbrook, which would have been great since the former MVP could have gotten more rest for the second round.
The Los Angeles Lakers are just about done with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Rockets are going to need Westbrook in the lineup if they want to defeat LeBron James and Anthony Davis should they make it to the second round.
Nevertheless, Houston cannot think too far ahead, especially since they have looked lost in the past two games without Westbrook.
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